In this chapter, we focused on cancer as a genetic disease, with an emphasis on the relationship between cancer, the cell cycle, and DNA damage, as well as on the multiple steps that lead to cancer. At the same time, we found many opportunities to consider the methods and reasoning by which much of this information was acquired. From the explanations given in the chapter,

How do we know that cancer development requires more than one mutation?

Video transcript

Hi everyone. Let's take a look at this practice problem. Together, identify the incorrect statement about cancer. So let's go ahead and go through and see if we can identify which statement is not true. We have a it is genetically unstable with the range of genomic alterations. This is true A. Is not the correct answer. And it's because those genomic alterations are also known as mutations and recall that cancer is caused by multiple mutations. Then we have B. The cancer cells show unregulated privilege operation. And this is true through unregulated cell division. And so B is also a true statement and not the correct answer. Then we have see it is caused by mutations that primarily occur in somatic cells. This is also true. Now recall that mutations can occur in two cell types somatic or germline, but cancer primarily occurs in the somatic cells, not the germline cells. So our answer is D a single mutation within a single gene leads to cancer. Now, if we were to correct this statement and make it true, it would say multiple mutations within multiple genes leads to cancer. Alright, everyone, I hope you found this helpful. And I'll see you soon for the next practice problem